France is alleged to be preparing a “aggression” against Niger

Paris continues to send troops to ECOWAS member states, according to the military government of the African nation.

The military administration of the West African state has alleged that Paris intends to meddle in Niger while continuing to send troops to numerous nations in the region. Following a coup in July, ties between France and Niger, a former colonial power, worsened.

“France continues to deploy its forces in several ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) countries as part of preparations for an aggression against Niger, which it is planning in cooperation with this community organisation,” Colonel Amadou Abdramane, spokesman for the government in Niamey, said in a statement aired on national television on Saturday, as quoted by AFP.

In order to put the nation’s expelled president Mohamed Bazoum back in office, ECOWAS has threatened to intervene. A number of high-ranking French officials have also affirmed that Paris would support any military action taken by the group.

Ali Lamine Zeine, the prime minister of Niger after the country’s military coup, claims that not all of the organization’s members, however, are in favour of military action. Additionally, he stated to the media on Monday that the Niamey government’s new goal was to negotiate a deal with the bloc in the “coming days.”

Prior until this, military commanders in Niger had referred to French troops stationed there as “illegal” and urged that they leave the nation immediately.

Speaking at the G20 conference in New Delhi, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that any redeployment of his country’s forces could only be made “at the request of President Bazoum.” France does not recognise the Nigerien military government.

In the earlier part of the year, Paris was forced to remove its military from Burkina Faso. A coup in 2020 led to problems with the military administration in Mali, and France also withdrew its troops in response.